Banned Books Week in the Library

Restricting minor access to sexually explicit materials

Books that are “Banned”

This week in New Jersey the public and school libraries celebrate “Banned Books Week”, or 🌽 week, as we call it. This is when the librarians display a list of books challenged/banned throughout the years. Books like The Diary of Ann Frank, 1984, and sexually explicit porn (🌽) geared towards minors like Gender Queer.

Below the Glen Rock Library shows its display up front featuring Gender Queer, Milk and Honey, Lawn Boy, and Perks of a Wallflower all books that had access RESTRICTED FOR MINORS of various ages. Not “BANNED” for adult consumption.

Nudity, Porn and Erotica for Teens

When we first wrote about Gender Queer, we shared an excerpt that showed a cartoon character “smoking the skin flute” of another character which prompted the substack to flag us for violating their content guidelines regarding nudity, porn, and erotica. As a result, this publication was temporarily removed until we censored the X-rated material. This same book is on display at the front of your public library, in ADDITION to being in your Teen’s school library.

Many of the books geared towards identified LGBTQ+ kids contain sexually explicit content. It seems like many misguided activists in New Jersey think it’s appropriate to take away those kid’s innocence in the library. We aren’t talking about hugging and kissing, we are talking about things that would be articles and images in Hustler Magazine provided to teens and even younger. Images that will give you a strike if you share them on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

How Young Is Too Young for Sex Books?

The American Library Association believes that NO BOOK should be restricted and ANY AGED CHILD MUST HAVE ACCESS. That is why the book “You Know, Sex” by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth was found sitting in the child’s section, near the floor next to “Pheobie the Unicorn” within easy reach of any child in the Mount Laurel Library. See the video below:

After this was brought to the attention of the Mount Laurel Library, they issued this statement:

There are books with sexual content that would be appropriate for high schoolers but should have restricted access for elementary or middle schoolers.

Nudity, Porn, and Erotica in Middle School through High School

If your teen or tween is sneaking off to the public library to read books, then you don't have big problems. The real trouble starts when those books end up on the mandatory reading list because they were already approved to be in the school library and the kids are not permitted to opt-out and choose a different book.

• Watch these moms from Washington Township read The child rape scene between a father and his 11-year-old daughter that was assigned to their 14/15-year-old freshman. The book “The Bluest Eye” has multiple rape scenes written from the perspective of the raper, focusing on the enjoyment of the situation.

• The book Fun Home was assigned to students in West Morris Mendham High School. The below content is censored to be in line with Substack Community Standards. If you share it on Facebook or TikTok you may or may not be flagged for inappropriate content, even with the censoring.

• A Nurse in the Cherry Hill school, took the kids in small groups down to her office to show them cartoon images of naked children to meet one of the state K-2 standards.

What is Age Appropriate Sexual Content?

Not all books are inappropriate for all ages, for example, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky is not something that I would NOT want my 6th grader to read, however, I wouldn’t have a problem with it being read by my 16-year-old.

We have collected a List of Books that may or may not be appropriate for your child. Don’t take our word for it, you have to READ it first to decide if your child is ready.

There are different factors that should be considered when assigning a sexually explicit book to a minor: parents’ expectations, child readiness, and societal norms of the community. This is why its so important to vote for a school board candidate with similar values to parents in the community. Click here to see the list of parent-recommended candidates.

And most importantly, ALWAYS talk to your kids about what they did in school today. Even if they say “nothing”, one day they could surprise you with an answer.